Rebirth: Start to Save the Treasure Girl

"Cough cough~"

Xue Rui was bent over, one hand supporting himself on a telephone pole as he coughed violently.

Xue Rui had actually anticipated this, but who would have thought that Chen Tingting would go around in circles and come back to him when he let his guard down?

"Drink slowly." Chen Tingting gently patted Xue Rui's back and took out a tissue to wipe his mouth.

Xue Rui felt utterly helpless. What could he do with this guy?

The best way is to exhaust Chen Tingting's energy indefinitely.

Therefore, Xue Rui specifically chose to buy things from stores with long queues.

More than an hour later, Chen Tingting had a bunch of plastic bags filled with snacks in her hands, and her palms were covered with white and blue marks from the bags. But she never complained. She just looked up at Xue Rui with her little head tilted up, her eyes full of joy.

Chen Tingting knew that Xue Rui played with her not because he considered her his girlfriend, but more because he saw her as a child.

She only had time to play with Xue Rui when Gu Muxue was in class.

As for large blocks of time like weekends, she doesn't deserve them.

Thinking of this, she pouted, feeling quite unhappy. This really made her seem like a mistress.

The two strolled leisurely along with the crowd, and before they knew it, they had entered a small alleyway filled with the lively atmosphere of everyday life.

The alley was narrow and the sanitation was poor. There was a 24-hour unmanned store at the intersection, and its pink neon sign caught people's attention.

Xue Rui and Chen Tingting both saw it.

Xue Rui pretended not to see it and turned around to go back the way he came.

Chen Tingting tugged at Xue Rui's clothes, her head darting left and right as she looked around at the roadside.

Once the crowd had thinned out a bit, she stammered, "You...you went in?"

Xue Rui frowned. What did Chen Tingting want to find out?

What kind of person are you?

In that case...

Xue Rui said in a cocky tone, "Of course I've been inside."

What Xue Rui didn't say was that he had only ever been to this kind of store—the kind that makes men silent and women blush—with Qiu Mengze, and they hadn't bought anything.

That damned curiosity of my teenage years...

"Wow...so amazing!" Chen Tingting exclaimed with admiration.

Xue Rui was taken aback, wondering what was wrong with this guy?

Don't you like me?
Shouldn't they show disappointment or resentment when they hear that I've been to this kind of shop?

What's going on with all these little stars in my eyes?

Actually, it's not just boys who are curious about these kinds of shops; girls are just as curious. However, boys are naturally bolder and less afraid of gossip, so they don't feel too much psychological burden when they go in. They're more interested in the thrill.

As for Chen Tingting, a well-behaved girl, she had never been there even once.

Now that I hear Xue Rui went there, my first reaction is admiration, followed by a restless desire to follow suit.

"I want to see it too, but I'm too scared to go alone."

Chen Tingting blinked her eyes and looked at Xue Rui with a pitiful expression.

Xue Rui's expression was complicated. He knew what kind of things were inside, and he didn't want to go in with Chen Tingting.

"If you keep doing this, I'm leaving right now," Xue Rui said sternly.

"I just want you to keep watch for me... so that someone can come and let me know."

Chen Tingting was really curious.

Just as Xue Rui hesitated, Chen Tingting squeezed inside without saying a word.

She believed that Xue Rui would keep watch for her.

"This...sigh~"

A few minutes later, Chen Tingting ran out, her face flushed, grabbed Xue Rui's arm, and ran away.
"Hurry...hurry up and go."

Xue Rui followed behind, his heart pounding. He had no idea what despicable thing Chen Tingting had done that made her run away as soon as she left the house.
However, judging from Chen Tingting's bright red ears, she was probably shy. The way she was dragging him away was probably to change the subject.

Indeed, Chen Tingting had just graduated from high school; she had never seen anything like this before.
This guy is incredibly arrogant, but when it comes to real trouble, he's more cowardly than anyone else. He even apologized to the telephone pole before.

The two ran through the alley for a while until the blush on Chen Tingting's ears faded and her pace gradually slowed down.

The two of them, panting heavily, looked at each other and laughed.

Why are you running? Did you steal something?

Xue Rui had a smug smile on his lips; he wasn't about to miss the chance to make fun of Chen Tingting.

"Hmph! It was stolen." Chen Tingting said angrily.

"What did you steal?" Xue Rui found it interesting and reached out to poke Chen Tingting's cheek.

"You'll find out soon enough."

After Chen Tingting finished speaking, she bit her lower lip tightly, secretly glanced at Xue Rui, and then her eyes darted around, looking at the hotel entrances.

“You…you said you would take me there, and I said I was willing.”

After saying that, she didn't dare to look at Xue Rui again.

"..."

Xue Rui fell silent. Every time he tried to bully Chen Tingting, she would always outsmart him.

At this moment, Chen Tingting was quiet and still, her cheeks flushed, like wild fruits with water droplets hanging on them after the rain, so vibrant and tempting that one couldn't help but want to take a bite.

The alley was incredibly quiet. Chen Tingting's words echoed countless times in Xue Rui's mind. He swallowed hard, and some inappropriate images flashed through his mind.

But Xue Rui quickly suppressed these distracting thoughts. He hadn't even tasted it yet, and Chen Tingting had already manipulated him like this. What would happen if he actually tasted it?
"Tingting, I have an appointment with Muxue, so I should go back now." Xue Rui adopted a very humble attitude and brought up Gu Muxue again to threaten her.

Chen Tingting pouted her red lips, looking very aggrieved.

The moment she heard Gu Muxue's name, she panicked.

Chen Tingting was afraid that Gu Muxue would cause trouble, that Gu Muxue would call her parents again to put pressure on her, and that Gu Muxue would keep a close eye on Xue Rui, so that she would have no chance to get close to him in the future.

Chen Tingting reluctantly let go of Xue Rui's clothes. She hailed a taxi by the roadside and pushed Xue Rui inside.

Just as Xue Rui was about to ask, "And what about you?", he saw Chen Tingting rudely plop herself down in the car and tell the driver her destination.

Xue Rui felt extremely uncomfortable. He wanted to get up and get out of the car, but the car had already started moving.

Xue Rui was thinking to himself, if Gu Muxue found out that he and Chen Tingting were in the same car, then his good days would be over...

Chen Tingting seemed to have guessed Xue Rui's thoughts, and she whispered in his ear:
"Don't worry, I'll get off the bus beforehand so she won't find out."

After Chen Tingting finished speaking, she stared blankly out the window, her eyes filled with a dullness, no longer displaying their usual liveliness.

Xue Rui felt sorry for Chen Tingting, and instead of loudly proclaiming that she wanted to take him away, she chose to stay by her side quietly.

The journey from the University of Posts and Telecommunications to Jiaotong University is quite long, taking more than half an hour by car. Xue Rui wondered if he should give Chen Tingting a beautiful moment.

He had only taken from Chen Tingting and had never given anything in return.

Chen Tingting appeared on every holiday, but he never gave her any gifts, and didn't even know when her birthday was.

After hesitating for a long time, Xue Rui picked out a fruit skewer from a bunch of candied hawthorns he had bought earlier, and held a bright red strawberry to Chen Tingting's lips: "Want some?"

Chen Tingting's lips visibly curled up, and after only a brief hesitation, she opened her mouth and bit down, her cheeks puffing out high.

"Li, have some too." Chen Tingting opened the plastic bag and started rummaging through other snacks.

Seeing Chen Tingting smile, Xue Rui's guilt lessened considerably.

This guy is so easy to please.

Just as the car reached the vicinity of Jiaotong University, Xue Rui chose to get off the car early to lessen his guilt.

He can't avoid Chen Tingting, nor can he give her a future; at least give her some happy moments.

"See you next year!" Chen Tingting stuck her head out of the window and waved to Xue Rui behind her. "Go back!" Xue Rui snapped.

Chen Tingting immediately shrank back, but a second later, Xue Rui saw two small paws sticking out of the car window, making a "heart" shape in the air.

……

Xue Rui didn't go to the school to find Gu Muxue. Instead, he went to Gu Muxue's house to buy groceries and prepare food for their rare get-together.

It wasn't that Xue Rui was diligent, but rather that he didn't want their time together to be wasted on meaningless cooking.

Around 5 p.m., the sound of a lock being opened came from the door.

In the entryway, Gu Muxue saw Xue Rui's shoes and, listening to the sound of chopping vegetables coming from the kitchen, smiled slightly.

"Mu Xue is back?"

Xue Rui came out of the kitchen with a grin, wiped his hands haphazardly on his clothes, and was about to hug Gu Muxue.

Gu Muxue crossed her arms, leaned back slightly, pointed a finger at Xue Rui, and narrowed her eyes slightly:
"Xiao Rui, if you're being unusually attentive, there's probably something fishy going on."

Xue Rui chuckled; the little girl had seen right through his little scheme.

"Mu Xue, you bought so many desserts?"

Looking at the exquisite pastries on the coffee table, Xue Rui felt a warmth in his heart.

“Yes, Ruoxi likes to eat it, so I bought some duck products that you like too,” Gu Muxue said, pointing to another paper bag.

"Thank you for your trouble, Mu Xue."

Compared to the constant fear and anxiety I felt with Chen Tingting, Gu Muxue's company was much more reassuring.

Xue Rui hugged Gu Muxue from behind, and the two of them swayed as they sat on the sofa, watching the sun gradually set outside the window.

"Has she been getting off work this late lately?" Gu Muxue asked.

"Xixi is a very busy person," Xue Rui said with a wry smile.

"Xiao Rui, is something on your mind?" Gu Muxue tilted her head back and reached out to stroke Xue Rui's chin.

"Um……"

"Just a few days ago, when I went to Xixi's company..."

After hesitating for a moment, Xue Rui decided to tell Lin Ruoxi everything.

Lin Ruoxi now possesses many advanced technologies, all of which are ahead of their time.

Some of them have already found ways to monetize their assets, and some have even received orders from the police.

Lin Ruoxi's net worth is at least 10 billion RMB, but because she doesn't plan to list in the US and there's no Science and Technology Innovation Board in the A-share market, she hasn't attracted much attention from investors.

But Xue Rui knew even better that the trend of the times was unstoppable, and that Lin Ruoxi would eventually leave him far behind in his career, to the point where he couldn't even see her taillights.

Because Xue Rui was merely riding the wave of the times, while Lin Ruoxi was leading the way.

When he was with Lin Ruoxi, she was still that cute and adorable little girl, and Xue Rui didn't have any ulterior motives.

But any man would feel anxious if his woman was far superior to him, especially someone like Xue Rui who was two-timing.

Xue Rui originally wanted to achieve a delicate balance through economic strength and overwhelming success in his career, but this balance was about to be overturned.

"Cuckoo~"

Gu Muxue laughed so hard she nearly fell over.

Seeing Xue Rui's anxious and worried expression, she felt a little jealous, but mostly happy.

Xue Rui was jealous because he cared a lot about Lin Ruoxi, and he was happy because Xue Rui had shown weakness towards her.

Xue Rui would never show weakness to Lin Ruoxi, but he could confidently show weakness to her because they were family and there was absolute trust between them.

"Mu Xue, don't make fun of me," Xue Rui said with a long face.

"What are you afraid of? Didn't she give you all the shares?"

Gu Muxue smiled.

Xue Rui shook his head and remained silent. Lin Ruoxi's value lay entirely in her personal life, not in the company's equity.

If the young girl wants to be independent, she can quickly start a new company.

He couldn't tie Lin Ruoxi down for life, nor did he want to.

Don't overthink it.

Gu Muxue poked Xue Rui's head and said.

Just then, there was another sound at the door, and Xue Rui subconsciously got up: "I'll go open the door."

"Go."

Gu Muxue turned around, rested her head on the back of the sofa, and looked softly at Xue Rui's back, murmuring in a voice only she could hear:

"Xiao Rui, I won't let you lose."

"While you're chatting with Mu Xue, I've almost finished preparing the meal. Don't steal my credit at the last minute."

Xue Rui pushed Lin Ruoxi into the living room, then dashed off to the kitchen.

"Ruoxi, come here. Xiao Rui cooked for us today. He's been busy all day."

Gu Muxue waved her hand, gesturing for Lin Ruoxi to sit down.

"Okay, sure."

Lin Ruoxi came in carrying a bag. She first greeted Gu Muxue, and then put the things on the coffee table.

"Oh? You bought some too?"

Lin Ruoxi's eyes widened; she and Gu Muxue had both bought duck products.

"Hmm, there are desserts on the table, would you like some?"

Gu Muxue looked Lin Ruoxi up and down, thinking that Lin Ruoxi seemed to have matured a lot since she last saw her, and her student-like aura had faded considerably.

Lin Ruoxi gazed at the dazzling array of small cakes, unconsciously licking her lips, but before taking a bite, she still asked, "Who bought these?"

"Xiao Rui bought it." Gu Muxue felt helpless.

Lin Ruoxi is that kind of girl; she's always afraid of owing others anything. If Gu Muxue says she bought it specifically for her, Lin Ruoxi will most likely still eat it, but she won't be very happy about it.

Lin Ruoxi smiled sweetly upon hearing this; Xue Rui had been buying her small cakes lately.

Lin Ruoxi eats like a child, especially when eating desserts, she will unconsciously lick her fingers.

But every time she licked her fingers, she would subconsciously glance in Xue Rui's direction, afraid that Xue Rui would scold her.

After eating two or three small cakes, Lin Ruoxi noticed that Gu Muxue was staring at her.

Could it be... that Gu Muxue also wants to eat?

Actually, Gu Muxue couldn't help but watch Lin Ruoxi for a while because she was eating so deliciously, especially since Lin Ruoxi had cream on her cheeks and looked like a greedy little child.

There were eight small cakes on the table. Lin Ruoxi was conflicted. Xue Rui had bought them especially for her.

Moreover, it was more exquisite and delicious than before, and tasted very expensive. She was reluctant to give it to Gu Muxue, but Gu Muxue was looking at it longingly, and she would seem stingy if she didn't share it with Gu Muxue.

"Hmm, I'll give you two...three."

Lin Ruoxi took a deep breath, somewhat reluctantly pushing the three small cakes to Gu Muxue, and then hugged the rest to herself.

Gu Muxue thought to herself, "Now she's even more like a child..."

Just then, Xue Rui came out of the kitchen carrying dishes and joked:

"Xixi, isn't the cake Muxue bought tastier than the one I bought?"

Lin Ruoxi's eyes widened instantly, and a blush visibly rose on her fair cheeks.

"Xixi, why is your face red?" (End of Chapter)